Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2021-25988 is a stored cross-site scripting issue in ifme. A lower-privileged user could place script content into the notifications workflow by sending an ally request to an admin, potentially affecting the admin when they view it.
Executive priority
Treat this as a moderate-priority web application issue. It is unlikely to cause direct server compromise, but it can expose admin sessions or data if a vulnerable deployment allows untrusted users.
Technical view
ifme versions 1.0.0 through v7.31.4 are reported vulnerable to stored XSS in the Notifications section. The CVSS 3.1 score is 5.4, with network access, low attack complexity, low privileges, required user interaction, and limited confidentiality and integrity impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to deployments running vulnerable ifme versions. Risk is higher where untrusted or newly registered users can send ally requests to administrative users.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not indicate active exploitation, and the CVE is not listed as KEV. Exploitation requires an authenticated user and admin interaction with the affected notification path.
Researcher notes
Evidence supports stored XSS in the admin notification workflow, but the bundle does not name a fixed release. Validate against the referenced commit and vendor project history before closing exposure.
Mitigation direction
- Identify all ifme deployments and confirm their running versions.
- Upgrade to a vendor-confirmed fixed release or a build containing the referenced fix commit.
- Restrict untrusted user access until remediation is complete.
- Review vendor guidance before applying custom sanitization or filtering changes.
Validation and detection
- Check whether deployed ifme versions fall within 1.0.0 through v7.31.4.
- Verify the notification rendering code includes the referenced fix commit.
- Run regression tests for notification rendering using safe non-executable test strings.
- Review logs for unusual ally request activity targeting administrators.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-79: User-session and phishing behavior lookup
Client-side and session-facing weaknesses should be reviewed alongside initial-access and user-execution behaviors. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2021-25988 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Medium
- CVSS
- 5.4 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N2.32.7Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
5.4MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://github.com/ifmeorg/ifme/commit/720a47015e46ad387b3219fed7ebfb14ec3c854cCVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://www.whitesourcesoftware.com/vulnerability-database/CVE-2021-25988CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.